Qatar - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts

Lte And Qatar’S National Broadband Network (Nbn) To Underpin Broadband Growth

Qatar possesses a well developed telecoms market, financed in part from wealth generated by natural resources. The last country in the region to introduce competition to its telecoms market, Qatar is improving market conditions, with number portability to be introduced by 2013 and a National Broadband Network (NBN) in deployment.

Broadband penetration is among the highest in the region, with services available via ADSL, Fibre-to-the-Home (FttH), wireless and mobile. Recognising the inherent opportunities in faster communications, Qatar has embarked on developing a national fibre-based access network, known as QNBN. Services are offered on a wholesale basis, with Vodafone already launching services. QNBN plans to extend coverage to 95% of homes by 2015, with speeds of up to 100Mb/s offered.

Qatar has taken advantage of its geographical location to improve international Internet bandwidth and redundancy, with two new international submarine cables entering service in 2012, just in time to cater to increased bandwidth demand due to QNBN and LTE.

Recognising the potential of applying ICT to improve both social and economic development, Qatar has taken steps to develop an Internet economy, with significant government funded initiatives launched in the areas of public administration (e-government), e-health and e-learning.

Mobile services are offered by a duopoly comprised of Qtel and Vodafone Qatar. Since launching services Vodafone Qatar has managed to grab approximately a third of the market, with its share likely to increase once mobile number portability is introduced.
Both Qtel and Vodafone Qatar have also launched mobile broadband services underpinned by 3G or LTE networks. Adoption of such services provides a new revenue growth opportunity as the mobile voice market comes under increased competition.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Qatar’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the mobile, Internet, broadband, digital TV and converging media sectors.

Subjects include:

- Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
- Facts, figures and statistics;
- Industry and regulatory issues;
- Infrastructure;
- Major players, revenues, subscribers, ARPU
- Digital economy
- Mobile voice and data markets;
- Broadband (FttH, DSL, wireless);
- Convergence and digital media;
- Broadband subscriber forecasts to 2020 SHOW LESS READ MORE >

1. Executive summary
2. Key statistics
2.1 Country overview
3. Telecommunications market
3.1 Overview of Qatar’s telecom market
4. Regulatory environment
4.1 Background
4.1.1 Telecommunications Law 2006
4.1.2 Telecommunications Executive By-Law 2009
4.2 Regulatory authority
4.3 Telecom sector liberalisation in Qatar
4.4 Privatisation
5. Fixed network operator in Qatar
5.1 Qatar Telecom (Qtel)
6. Telecommunications infrastructure
6.1 National telecom network
6.2 International infrastructure
6.2.1 Submarine cable networks
6.2.2 Satellite networks
7. Broadband access market
7.1 Overview
7.1.1 Broadband and Internet statistics
7.2 Broadband forecasts
7.2.1 Scenario 1 – higher growth
7.2.2 Scenario 2 – lower growth
7.2.3 Notes on scenario forecasts
7.3 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
7.4 Fibre-to-the-Home (FttH)
7.5 Wireless Broadband
7.5.1 WiFi
7.6 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
8. Information society
8.1 E-commerce
8.2 E-government
8.3 E-health
8.4 E-education
8.4.1 Knowledge Net (KNET)
9. Digital Media
9.1 Overview of broadcasting market
9.2 Online Arabic content
9.3 Broadband TV (IPTV)
9.4 Al Jazeera
10. Mobile communications
10.1 Overview of Qatar’s mobile market
10.1.1 Mobile statistics
10.2 Regulatory issues
10.2.1 Second mobile licence
10.2.2 Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO)
10.2.3 Roaming tariff reduction
10.2.4 Mobile Number Portability
10.3 Mobile technologies
10.3.1 Analogue
10.3.2 Digital
10.3.3 Third generation (3G) mobile
10.3.4 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)
10.4 Major mobile operators
10.4.1 Qtel
10.4.2 Vodafone Qatar
10.5 Mobile voice services
10.5.1 Prepaid
10.5.2 Satellite mobile
10.6 Mobile messaging
10.6.1 Short Message Service (SMS)
10.6.2 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
10.7 Mobile broadband
10.8 Mobile content and applications
10.8.1 Mobile TV
11. Related reports
Table 1 – Country statistics Qatar – 2012
Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2012
Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2012
Table 4 – Fixed broadband statistics – 2012
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2012
Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
Table 7 – GDP growth and inflation – 2005 - 2013
Table 8 – Qtel group mobile and fixed-line revenue and net profit – 2005 - 2012
Table 9 – Qtel Qatar mobile and fixed-line revenue and net profit – 2005 - 2012
Table 10 – Qtel Qatar fixed-line revenue breakdown – 2008 - 2012
Table 11 – Qtel Qatar fixed-line subscribers and ARPU – 2007 - 2012
Table 12 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 - 2012
Table 13 – Internet users and penetration – 1995 - 2012
Table 14 – Fixed broadband subscribers – 2002 - 2012
Table 15 – Household PC penetration – 2007 - 2012
Table 16 – International Internet bandwidth – 2003 - 2011
Table 17 – Forecast broadband subscribers – higher growth scenario – 2012, 2015; 2020
Table 18 – Forecast broadband subscribers – lower growth scenario – 2012, 2015; 2020
Table 19 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1995 - 2012
Table 20 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change – June 2012
Table 21 – Mobile operators’ market share – 2009 - 2012
Table 22 – Qtel mobile subscribers – 2008 - 2012
Table 23 – Qtel mobile postpaid and prepaid ARPU – 2007 - 2012
Table 24 –Vodafone Qatar Subscribers and ARPU –2009 - 2012
Table 25 – Qtel prepaid subscribers – 2000 - 2012
Table 26 – Active mobile broadband subscriptions – 2008 - 2012
Table 27 – Qtel wireless broadband subscribers & ARPU – 2010 – 2012
Table 28 – Qtel consumer market mobile broadband offerings – November 2012
Chart 1 – Qatar fixed-line and mobile subscribers – 2000 - 2012

- Qatar Telecom (Qtel)
- Al Jazeera
- Qatar Cable Vision
- Qtel
- Vodafone Qatar